Recipes Tried & True, One Old One New

(Originally posted on Monday, March 29, 2010)

My family has varied tastes. Because of that, one of my great triumphs is to find a recipe that all of them like. If I find one that everyone raves about, then I feel I have hit one out of the park. I think it's that adrenalin high that keeps me searching for the newest, the best, the greatest recipe.

Here are two that have been hits, one that we've been making for a while and it's become a standby. The other I tried just Sunday and everyone liked it. Score 1 for the mom!

Slow Cooker Smoky Chipotle Soft Tacos

Prep Time: 30 Min
Start to Finish: 6 hr 30 minutes
Makes: 18 tacos (probably not....these go fast if you pile on the meat)

3 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
1 large sweet onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 Anaheim Chile, chopped (1/3 cup or more)
3/4 c. chili sauce (not ketchup or salsa)
1/2 c. mole sauce (from a 9 oz. container, found in the Mexican or Latino portion of your supermarket)
3 T. chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (from 7 oz. can--save the remainder for another recipe, found in the Mexican or Latino portion of your supermarket)
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
18 6 " flour tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz.)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 1/2 c.)
Toppings as desired: sour cream, cilantro, black olives

1. In 12" skillet, cook beef, onion and Anaheim chile over medium heat about 15" minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown. Drain.
2. In 3-4 qt. slow cooker, mix beef mixture, chili sauce, mole sauce, chipotle chiles, cumin and salt. Add at least 1 c. water.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours. This will need to be stirred during cooking or it will burn and stick to the sides of the crock pot.
4. To serve, spoon 1/3 c. beef mixture into each tortilla, top with cheese, tomatoes and other toppings as desired.

Source: Betty Crocker website

Notes: This is very freezer friendly. Simply freeze cooled meat mixture in a freezer friendly container (don't forget to label and date it!). When ready to use, defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.



This one was tried just Sunday, but everyone really, really liked it.

Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" strips
1/3 c. buffalo wing sauce
6 c. frozen (thawed) southern style hash brown potatoes
1 c. ranch or blue cheese dressing (we used ranch)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 can. condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 c. corn flake crumbs
2 T. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 c. chopped green onions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees (375 for high altitude). Spray a 13x9 in baking dish.
2. In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce.
3. In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup (add 1/4 c. water for high altitude). Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips in a single layer over potato mixture.
4. Stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle in baking dish.
5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with green onions.
6. Serve with additional ranch or blue cheese dressing, if desired.